Mannah, Radradra, Norman get Eels honours

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Parramatta's end of season awards night has seen Tim Mannah take out two prized awards including the club's top season honour, with fellow stars Corey Norman and Semi Radradra also recognised.

Mannah claimed the coveted Ken Thornett Players' Player Medal, an honour last year awarded to Chris Sandow and won a record eight times by club legend Nathan Hindmarsh and twice by Jarryd Hayne.

"This was really unexpected and very humbling – a few of our players really stood up this year and there are a number of players this could have gone to," Mannah said.

"[Coach] Brad [Arthur] took me aside in pre-season and stuck a rocket up me and told me to not be complacent and to take my game to another level, and for me, that was a turning point in my season."

Mannah also received the Ray Price Community Award for his work in the community and in particular through the Mannah Foundation.

Mannah said the award could have gone to any number of players in the team who all donate plenty of their time to the community that most people don't know about.

"It's a real benefit to us. When I first started playing I thought if I play first grade I'll be able to help other people. The longer you play and the more you experience you start realising you get so much more out of it and we get a lot out of it as players so we're pretty fortunate to be in the position we're in and hopefully we never take it for granted," he said.

Winger Semi Radradra, who broke the all-time club record for most tries in a season with 24 this year (beating Steve Ella's 1982 mark of 23), received the coach's award for the way he responded to a major mid-season rev-up from Arthur.

Arthur also revealed five-eighth Corey Norman – who made his captaincy debut for the club late in the season when Mannah missed a game through injury – came close to receiving the award but was just edged out by Radradra.

Norman however did receive the fans' award voted on by the Blue and Gold Army.

Boom rookie Daniel Alvaro received both the NSW Cup coach's award as well as the NRL rookie of the year award.

"Daniel Alvaro to me is a really good story for the club," Arthur said.

"He was voted the best pre-season trainer, which is voted on by the players, and through his hard work and determination and persistence he ended up playing seven NRL games for us. In his first game he got three minutes, then he got seven minutes, 15 [minutes].

"His last game he played 45 minutes for us with seven tackle breaks, a try and 140 metres."